South Windsor, CT — September 2026 — TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik is proud to return to the Supernova International Ska Festival as an official microphone sponsor for the 2026 event, providing professional microphones for the festival’s two stages at historic Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia.
Taking place September 12–13, Supernova 2026 brings more than 30 artists together for two days of ska, reggae, punk, and rock, featuring legendary performers and contemporary artists from around the world. This year’s lineup includes The English Beat, Jeff Rosenstock, Derrick Morgan, Yellowman, The Slackers, The Aggrolites, The Pietasters, The Impossibles, Catbite, Bumpin Uglies, The Planet Smashers, and many more.
For 2026, TELEFUNKEN’s involvement goes beyond traditional event sponsorship. The company is supplying microphones for use across the festival’s two performance stages, putting TELEFUNKEN technology directly into the hands of the artists and audio professionals responsible for bringing Supernova’s performances to life.
The microphones will be used throughout the festival to capture vocals and instruments in the demanding outdoor live environment, helping deliver the clarity, punch, and character that ska performances demand.
“Supernova is exactly the kind of event we want to support,” said Alan Venitosh of TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik. “It’s a festival built around great musicians, great performances, and a passionate community. We’re excited that our microphones aren’t simply part of the sponsorship—they’re actually on the stages, being used to capture the performances.”
From the Studio to the Ska Stage
TELEFUNKEN’s relationship with Supernova began in 2024, when the company sponsored Philadelphia-based ska band Catbite and supplied the group with colorful M80 dynamic vocal microphones. The partnership highlighted the M80’s ability to deliver detailed, powerful vocals in a high-energy live environment while adding a distinctive visual element to the stage.
That initial relationship has now grown into a broader partnership with the festival itself.
For TELEFUNKEN, the move represents a natural extension of the company’s long-standing commitment to live sound. While the TELEFUNKEN name is closely associated with legendary studio microphones and some of the most celebrated recordings in music history, the company’s Dynamic Series has become an increasingly important part of its presence on stages around the world.
The M80, M81, and M82 dynamic microphones are designed to deliver studio-inspired performance in rugged live environments, giving engineers and performers tools that combine high-quality sound with the durability required for touring and festival production.
“There’s something particularly exciting about seeing a microphone that was designed with the same attention to sound as our studio products being used on a festival stage,” said Marc Chauvin of Showtime Sound. “Live sound is where the energy of a performance really comes through. You have the room, the audience, the musicians, the backline, the horns, the drums, and everything happening at once. That’s where a great microphone has to perform.”
A Perfect Match for Ska
Ska presents a unique challenge for live sound. The genre’s combination of vocals, electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion, and prominent horn sections demands microphones capable of maintaining definition and separation while handling the energy and volume of a live festival environment.
That makes Supernova an ideal proving ground for TELEFUNKEN’s Dynamic Series.
With multiple artists performing throughout each day, the microphones will experience the full range of sounds and performance styles represented by the festival—from legendary Jamaican ska and reggae artists to modern American and international ska, punk, and alternative acts.
The 2026 festival will also be livestreamed through Veeps, extending the reach of the performances beyond Fort Monroe and giving audiences around the world an opportunity to experience the event.
Celebrating 25 Years of TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik
The Supernova partnership is particularly meaningful in 2026, as TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik celebrates its 25th anniversary in the United States.
For a quarter century, TELEFUNKEN has remained committed to producing professional microphones that combine classic microphone design principles with modern manufacturing, engineering, and quality control.
From its South Windsor, Connecticut facility, the company continues to serve recording studios, broadcast facilities, touring productions, live sound engineers, musicians, and audio professionals around the world.
Supporting Supernova is part of that ongoing commitment.
“After 25 years, we’re still passionate about putting great microphones in front of great musicians,” said Connor Rowen, TELEFUNKEN’s marketing manager. “Supernova represents the kind of independent, artist-focused music community that deserves that support. We’re proud to be there—not just as a sponsor, but as part of the production.”
As Supernova brings together generations of ska artists and fans at Fort Monroe, TELEFUNKEN microphones will be there capturing the performances from the stage.
For more details, please visit: https://supernovaska.com/